Residents say crime is on the rise

A crowd gathered Tuesday at a local community center to discuss concerns about escalating crime in southeast Raleigh.The family of 16-year-old Adarius Fowler also attended Tuesday's the meeting.

Fowler was shot and killed on Tarboro Road last month. His relatives say crime is corrupting their neighborhoods and their children.

His family talked about their loss, about their fear and about changes they want to see in this area.

"It hurt me so much because I loved my cousin," Fowler's cousin Shanita Rhodes said. "I never thought he would go away."

The corner of Tarboro and Oakwood Streets in southeast Raleigh, where Fowler was found is the same block where a homeless handyman was murdered last year and another man was killed in 2005.

Raleigh police say fowler's death maybe gang related, possibly a Blood member trying to get out.

Since her cousin's murder, Rhodes' son sleeps at his father house, scared her baby will be a target.

"Cause of what happened and scared, they can't get to the person want to get to they try to come to his family and I don't want my son to be involved in it," she said.

Fowler's killer still remains at large.

"There are some people out there that know what happened, or have information that are reluctant because of fear or other reasons to come forward to give us info to help us clear case," Raleigh Police Sgt. Rick Armstrong said.

Police say it's a trend that needs to be turned around --a community's responsibility to change its mentality.

"There is certainly a no snitch mentality," Armstrong said. "Not just because of fear but people truly believe it's not the right thing to do."

Its change this community vows to work toward.

"We should not have to wait until someone dies to make action to take action," a resident who attended the meeting said. "Take action now for the ones who are still alive."

Raleigh Police say they are increasing patrol around the Tarboro Road area and are trying to work with store owners to limit loitering. But police admit it's an uphill battle the community is going to have to help them fight.